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Land Rovers to cross the country, off-road

July 28, 2013

Three Land Rover LR4s will take part in the Trans-America Trail run over the next month. Photo by Land Rover

Land Rover has just embarked on an off-road expedition across America. Think “The Cannonball Run,” but without paved roads. And without Alex Roy. And probably without reaching triple-digit speeds, or using gyro-stabilized binoculars to scan the path ahead. But that doesn't mean it won't be challenging, as Land Rover's team will cover the country from sea to shining sea by taking a 5,000-mile route through 10 states, virtually without ever touching tarmac.

Land Rover Expedition America -- Tackling the Trans-America Trail has just departed from Asheville, N.C., in three 2013 Land Rover LR4s and will take about a month to reach their destination on the Oregon coast. The route is actually based on an off-road motorcycle trail created by Sam Correro, an off-road motorcyclist who charted the route and published it in the 1990s. Thousands of people have since followed the off-road route that Correro traveled.

Led by Land Rover driving-instruction and Camel Trophy veteran Tom Collins, the team will travel in the footsteps of American pioneers along a route that hasn't been scouted. The route is composed of mostly dirt and gravel roads, along with some short sections where tarmac cannot be avoided. Some of the toughest terrain the expedition will face will be the mountain routes in Colorado, Nevada and Oregon. The expedition team will be documenting their journey online and through blog posts, so that Land Rover fans can keep up with their progress.